Live: Mutoid Man

Deaf Institute

21st October

9/10

Brooklyn-based psych-punk-metal trio Mutoid Man are embarking on their first headline tour of the EU, bringing their bombastic stage personas with them. Deaf Institute was a night of all-guns-blazing metallic weirdness.

After walking on to a stage in front of a modest crowd, Mutoid Man wasted no time melting faces. As soon as frontman Stephen Brodsky is done dialling in his distortion, there’s a quick nod to bassist Nick Cageao, and then he thumped out the intro to ‘Bridgeburner’. The band were relentless and tore through the first four songs from their new album Bleeder, including the single ‘Sweet Ivy’, which causes the crowd to erupt into some questionable singing to the 70s-style licks.

If there’s one thing to say about this band, it’s their stage presence. They know what they’re doing and they know how to have fun with it. After 15 – 20 years apiece of metal and punk pedigree from other bands, it’s unsurprising that the trio are extremely comfortable on stage and spend every possible moment cocking about.

Any break in a song and one of the three is throwing middle fingers to another member of the band. A highlight of the set has to be during ‘Scrape the Walls’, in which the band took a break for the bassist and guitarist to swap instruments. Brodsky declares “Ah! Bet you didn’t expect that. It’s the old switcheroo!” before finishing the song on each other’s instruments.

The only blemish in this diamond of a gig was the relatively sparse crowd, but considering the band had only one EP up until a few months ago, they can be excused for this. Give them a little more time to garner a following, and there’s no doubt that this band will be revered for their live shows.